Exercising device



Nov. 6, 1962 J, s. sHABoo ETAL 3,062,543

ExERcIsIN DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May l0, 1961 INVENTORS .Jaw/A550730@ zw/,wao xga/7500,

N0V 6, 1962 J. s. sHABoo ETAL 3,062,543

EXERCISING DEVICE Filed May 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States vPatent O 3,062,543 EXERCISING DEVICE Joseph S. Shaboo, 24 Vinton St., Melrose, Mass., and Edward Y. Shaboo, Dover, Fla. Filed May 10, 1961, Ser. No. 109,066 9 Claims. (Cl. 272-80) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in exercising devices and more particularly to a multi-purpose exercising device for the use by both men and women, as well as by children.

Today even with added stress being placed on physical fitness and body development, many people have found little or no time to devote to the usual outdoor exercises such as participant sports, cycling, walking, etc.

Many of these people have turned to mechanical devices designed to exercise the body in a multitude of ways during a short interval of use. Many of the popular exercising devices presently in use feature a vibrational structure which is applied to a single part of the body and, of course, affects only that part of the body in direct contact with the vibrating unit. Such contact vibrational devices have never been shown to be of any real aid in general all around body exercise.

The exercising devices that have proven to be most effective and beneficial for general exercise are the wellknown rowing and cycling7 machines. The major drawback with these machines is their great expense for the average user, the large amount of oor space that they take up, and possible mechanical malfunction.

A well-designed exerciser should work on the principle of moving tough muscle against soft, fatty tissue. When this is followed constantly, fatty tissue will dissolve due to friction and rmer tissue and muscle will result.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an exercising device intended to exercise muscle and tissues in all parts of the body by simple change in the position of the device.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an exercising device which in use will bring into action most of the muscles and muscle tissues of the body to aid in dissolving fatty tissues and improve the circulation.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an exercising device which will provide a vibrational effect on the whole body as strong or as mild as the user desires.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a rotational type of exerciser that is convertible to a bicycle type of exercise utilizing the legs as well as the upper body.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel cylinder back structure for an exerciser which enables the device to be utilized in several different positions.

A further object of this invention is to provide an exercising device which is portable, can be used indoors or out, is light in weight, durable, and maintenance free.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a rotational exercising device bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, and is at all times efficient, reliable, and safe in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the adjustable hand bar, which serves as the rotational member of the device, showing in dotted lines a second position of use;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of one of the hand grips of the hand bar;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged 3,062,543 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 scale of the central cylinder and adjustable lock device of the hand bar;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of one of the spring units employed with the hand bar;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the spring unit;

FIGURE S is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale through a spring unit taken on the section line 8-8 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a view of the hand bar in use in one of its positions in a hand cycling exercise; and

FIGURE 10 is a View of the hand bar and two spring units attached in use in a full body bicycling exercise.

Reference is now made more specifically to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein the hand bar which constitutes the central feature of this invention is designated generally at 10.

The hand bar 10 comprises two elongated rods or arms 11 and 12 forming the main body portions `of the hand bar which are preferably made of steel or aluminum but could `also be formed from plastic. Each of these rods is forme-d with a slight bend of preferably less than 45 to provide handle receiving arms 13. Adjacent to the other ends of these rods similar bends are made to provide a stub shaft on each rod. It should be noticed in FIG. 3 that stub shaft 14 of rod 11 is substantially longer than stub shaft 15 of rod 12.

Mounted rotatably on each of the handle receiving arms 13 is a metal bearing cylinder 16 as shown in FIG. 2. Movement of the bearing cylinder down the arm 13 is limited by the bend in rod 11. In order to retain the cylinder on the arm an annular groove 17 may be cut in the arm adjacent its end to receive a spring clip 18. Of course, a cotter pin -or other equivalent retaining means could serve equally as well. It may further be seen that an rannular groove 19 is cut in the bearing cylinder adjacent each end thereof for attachment of a spring unit, later to be described.

In order for the user to more easily maintain a grip on the hand bar, handle grips 20 are frictionally tted over the bearing cylinders to rotate therewith. These grips may be molded of rubber or plastic and are preferably formed with finger depressions 21 to facilitate their use.

The two rods 11 and 12 must, during use of the device, rotate together. In order to connect these two rods for cojoint rotation and to provide means for angularly adjusting one rod with respect to the other, a novel central cylinder assembly 30 has been provided.

The details of the central cylinder assembly are best shown in FIGURES 3 through 5 of the drawings. Firrnly attached to each of the stub shaft ends 14 and 15 are lock discs 31 and 32, respectively. These discs may be press fitted over the stub shafts and then the shafts peened over, or they may be keyed or welded to their respective shafts so as to rotate therewith. It will be noted that lock disc 31 carries a lock pin 33 projecting axially fro-m one face thereof and spaced radially from the disc center. The companion lock disc 32 is provided with three lock adjustment holes 34, 35 and 36 which are drilled through the disc faces and are spaced radially from the disc center a distance equal to the spacing of lock pin 33 from its disc center. These three lock holes are also equally spaced angularly with respect to each other. It is intended that if more adjustability of the hand bar is desired, four or more lock holes may be provided.

In order to force the stub shaft 14 of rod 11 and its lock disc and pin into operative engagement with the lock disc 32 of stub shaft 15, a relatively stiff spring member 37 is coaxially mounted on stub shaft 14. A spring retaining cylinder 38 surrounds and is coaxial with both spring 37 iand stub shafts 14 and 15. The left-hand end of cylinder 38 is closed by an annular bearing disc 39 which also rests against one end of the spring. The other end of the cylinder is closed by an annular bearing disc 4t). The spring retaining cylinder is therefore rotatably and freely mounted on the stub shafts which it spans by the two bearing discs 39 and 40 which are secured in any desired manner to the inside of the cylinder.

Surrounding this entire assembly is the hand grip cylinder 41 which is preferably made of relatively heavy metal. This cylinder spans the two stub shafts and is spaced 4radially therefrom and rotatably mounted thereon by annular bearing discs 42 and 43 which may be force tted to the inside of the hand grip cylinder. Knurling or gripping grooves 44 may be formed on the outside of the grip cylinder. With lock pin 33 engaged in the uppermost lock adjustment hole 34, the two rods 11 and 12 will be in their parallel offset operating position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1 This position of the hand bar 1 0 is roughly ysimilar to -a bicycle crank.

In order to employ the hand bar for vibrational exercise, it is necessary to place the rods in the anglar relation shown by dotted lines in FIGURE l, wherein the two handles are generally coaxial and the hand bar suggests a U shape' structure.

Such adjustment is made by merely manually pulling stub shaft 14 outwardly of the cylinders 38, 41 so a-s to compress spring 37 Vand withdraw lock pin 33 from lock hole 34. When the pin is withdrawn, one of the rods 11 or 12 may be turned with respect to the other until the pin is adajacent hole 35 yat which time 4the spring 37 `acting against disc 31 will `automatically insure locking engagement of thev pin in `the hole. Hole 36 is provided to provide an intermediate adjustment between the full cycle and the vibrational exercise position.

-In the full cycling position `shown -by the solid lines in FIGURE 1, the hand bar may be used in exercising by grasping one of the grips 2t) in each hand as shown in FIGURE 9. Holding the bar in this manner, the user cranks one hand forward and the other backward in a motion similar to that of the legs yand feet in pedalling a bicycle. Such movement exercises the entire upper portion of the body and may be continued while the user bends at the waist and moves the hand bar up and down.

When the arms 11 and 12 are moved to and locked in their dotted line position of FIGURE 1 wherein a U configuration is formed, the hand barrmay be used for vibrational exercise. For such exercise the grips 211 are held and with the lower arms held straight away from the body, the hands are moved together in small circles |which causes the offset weighted central cylinder assembly to rotate about the axial line passing through the two handles 20. Such eccentric rotation of the weight sends vibrations through the arms and throughout the upper part of the body. This vibrational effect may be controlled by speeding up or slowing down the speed of hand rotation. The same exercise may be performed with the hands held to one side of the body and then to the other in order to fully exercise all of the muscles and tissues. Similarly, an up and down movement of the trunk may simultaneously be performed while bending at the waist.

As an alternative, the user may grasp the hand grip cylinder 41 in one hand and by hand rotation cause the handles 20 which are offset from the axis of cylinder 41, to rotate thereabout causing a vibrational effect.

In order for the hand bar to be useful for exercising the entire body at one time, two spring strirup assemblies 50 provided. Each of these assemblies cornprise a main tension spring 51 of tightly wound convolutions capable of substantial elongation. An eye 52 and 53 is formed at each end of the spring and a tubular covering 54 of soft plastic or rubber is placed thereover. An attaching hook 55 is connected to eye 52 of each spring stirrup and a closed loop 56 of sufficient size to accept a human foot and shoe is connected to eye 53. A flat foot pedal 57 is interposed at the bottom of loop 56 for engagement with the bottom of the users shoe or bare foot. A plastic or rubber covering 58 may also be placed over the closed loop. As an alternative, the entire spring stirrup could well be made from elastic strap or rubber belting.

When the exercising device is to be used in a full body cycling exercise, the spring stirrups 50 are connected to the hand bar 10 by engaging the attaching hooks 55 into either of the annular grooves 19 formed in the bearing cylinders 16 of the hand grips (see FIG. 10). Either the inner or outer handle groove 19 may be used depending on the size of the user. With the user assuming a supine position as a FIGURE l0 and with his feet engaged in the closed loops of the spring stirrups, a full body cycling exercise may be carried on.

In this position the hands are moved in the same manner as in the standing position of FIGURE 9 and the feet are also moved in a pedalling motion. Due to the presence of the springs in the stirrups, the hands and the entire body are subject to exercise of such degree as desired depending only on the rapidity of hand bar movement, spring position and hand bar lock adjustment.

`While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the drawings `and detailed disclosure are to be contrued in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense since various modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An exercising device comprising in combination, a pair of elongated rods each bent adjacent one end to provide a stub shaft, means to adjustably lock said stub shafts together in selected positions whereby the vangle between the rods may be adjusted and a portion of each rod adjacent the other end being bent in a direction opposite to the stub shaft to form a handle.

2. An exercising device as defined in claim 1 and further including an elongated resilient member having a foot-engaging loop at one end thereof attached to each of said handles at the other end thereof.

3. An exercising device comprising in combination, a pair of elongated rods each bent adjacent one end to provide a stub shaft, a lock disc on the end of each stub shaft, projecting pin means on one of said discs, the other of said discs being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced lock holes on one face thereof, resilient means normally urging one lock disc toward the other, and a portion of each rod adjacent the other end bent in a direction opposite to the stub shaft to form a handle.

4. An exercising device as defined in claim 3 and further including an elongated resilient member having a foot-engaging loop at one end thereof attached to each of said handles at the other end thereof.

5. An exercising device comprising in combination, a pair of elongated rods, each having a main body portion and a stub shaft portion bent at an angle adjacent one end of said main body portion, means to adjustably lock said stub shaft portions together in coaxial relationship in selected positions whereby the angle between the main body portions may be adjusted, handle receiving means at the other end of each main body portion bent at an angle opposite to that of the stub shaft, and handle means mounted for rotation on said handle receiving means.

6. An exercising device comprising in combination,

a pair of elongated rods, each having a main body portion, a stub shaft portion and a handle receiving por-tion, the stub shaft portion being bent at an angle adjacent one end of said main body portion, the handle receiving portion being bent at an angle opposite to the stub shaft portion at the other end of said main body portion, a lock `disc fixed to the end of each Vstub shaft, a projecting lock pin xed to the face `of one of said discs and radially spaced from the center thereof, the other of said discs having a plurality lof circumferentially spaced lock holes formed on one face thereof, spring means coaxial wit-h one stub shaft normally urging one of said lock `discs toward the other, whereby the lock pin will be engaged in one -of lthe lock holes, rotatable hand grip means spanning said stub shafts and coaxial therewith, and rotatable handle means on each of said handle receiving portions.

v7. An exercising device as defined in claim 6, and further including an elongated resilient member having a foot-engaging loop at one end thereof attached to each of said rotatable handle means.

8. An exercising device comprising in combination, a pair of elongated rods each bent adjacent one end to provide a stub shaft, spring biased lock means to adjustably lock said stub shafts together in selected positions whereby the angle between the rods may be adjusted, rotatable hand grip means spanning said stub shafts vand coaxial therewith, and rotatable handle means on the other ends of said elongated rods.

9. An exercising device as delined in claim 8, and further including an elongated resilient member having a footengaging loop at `one end thereof attached to each of said handle means.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,388,777 Wentz Nov. 13, 1945 2,494,639 Yates Jan. 17, 1950 2,738,210 Hjembo Mar. 13, 1956 2,832,595 Hastings Apr. 29, 1958 

